Fireplace and back.



F S. THORNE. FIREPLACE AND BACK. I APPLICATION FILEDJMY 21. 1916.

, I 1;250,712., PathtedlSQIQlYf FRA K .S- Qa BQ PANQQREGQ R PLA 4ND BACK.-

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 18, 1917,

Application fi1ed-May;27,' 1916. Serial No. 100,386.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireplaces and Backs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful 1mprovements 1n fireplaces, and refers more especlally to that class wherein a novel form of fire-back is used for deflecting the 1 heat.

An object of the present invention isthe production of an open fireplace including an inclined fire-back formed with grooves 1 outwardly into the room.

for radiating a maximum amount of heat Another object of this invention" is to produce an open fireplacehaving embedded in the rear wall thereof a fire-back formed with V grooves extending from substantially the lower central portion and edge 1 thereof upwardly in diverging directions to a position near thetop of said fire-back, whereby the flames are spread, and a maximum heat radiating and deflecting surface is produced.

A further object of this invention is the production of an open fireplace comprising a novel form of grooved fire-back, a readily removable grate positioned below said fireback, and damper controlled draft passages below said grate arranged to admit air on three sides of the fireplace beneath the grate.

With these and other objects in view the invention further consists in the novel arrangement and combination of the several parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the fireplace with the fire-back in position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view there through.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a detached face view of .the fireback removed.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of fire-back, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

S. THoRnn,

a fireplace of this type and atthe same time proportionately reducing the quantity of fuel consumed. -The novel form of-ffireback formed with V grooves diverging upwardly in arcuate paths affords an increased radiating surface forspreading the flames and deflecting the heat outwardlyas will be hereinafter described. I

Referring to the drawings,in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, the fire-place 1 comprises a back wall2, which is inclined forwardly as at 3 and receives the fire-back; and opposite angularly' disposed side walls 4 and 5. The walls are built of any suitable material such as fire-brick, ornamental (stone or other available substances, and as shown units at the top of the fireplace to form-the usual flue 6.

The grate 7 is positioned in the fireplace within a frame 8 suitably mounted upon the projecting portion of the. back Wall 2, see Fig. 2. This grate is removable and as shown is formed with hook members 9 adapted to engage openings 10- provided in the frame 8, wherebythe grate can be either swung, or entirely removed, vas may bedesired. A lug 11 extends from the'frame 8 and supports the front edge of the grate."

The usual ash receiver (not shown) is preferably located beneath the grate into which the ashes from the fire are deposited.

A fuel retaining guard 12 is provided on the outer edge of the frame 8, andextends across the front of the fireplace. Thus it will be seen that when coal is used as a fuel the bed of the fire can be easily retained within the fireplace at aconvenient level beneath the fire back.

The dampers for controlling the draft to the fire are locatedon each'side and in front of the fireplace beneath the grate.

The'dampers13 and Marc located on the passage of airthrough draft flues 15 and 16. The door 17 extending across the front ofthe fireplace and positioned'within-the opposite sides of the fireplace, and control ing is not the warm air which has been emitted into the room. v

On the other hand, it is air drawn from without, of a pure nature, readily heated, and quickly radiated into the room in a fresh and warm condition.

These opposite draft passages and 16 operate equally well when an ordinary log or wood fire is kindled in the fireplace, and any tendency of said fire to discharge smoke into the room can be easily remedied by an adjustment of the dampers.

Thus it will be seen that an efficient and easily operated fireplace has been produced, in which the fuel can be readily handled,

' its consumption economically regulated, and

a maximum amount of pure air admitted for purposes of heating the room under the very best of health conditions.

Cooperating with the fireplace hereinbefore described is a fire-back 20, embedded in the. inclined portion 3 of the back wall 2. The fire-back is sufliciently inclined to defiect the greater portion of the heat from the fire outwardly into the room, see Fig. 2.

V grooves 21 are formed on the face 22 of the fire-back exposed to the flames of the fire, and as shown extend upwardly in diverging directions from the lower central portion and edge of the said fire-back. These grooves terminate short of the top edge of the. fire-back into beveled portions 23 which merge into the face of the fireback. In the form of grooves shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the divergence of the said grooves is illustrated in the general form of an inverted Gothic arch, beginning on a common center line 24 and the lower edge of the fire-back, and curving upwardly and outwardly. The angles of the grooves can be slightly varied to suit different debut I have found that a subsign fireplaces, stantially 45 angle radiates and deflects the heat from the flame satisfactorily (see Fig. 6). In some instances these angles may be varied so as to deflect the heat clear of the side walls of the fireplace. In providing these angular grooves and terminating beveled portions it will be seen that the flame is effectively conducted and spread to all parts of the fire-back, and a correspondingly increased volume of heat emitted from the fireplace.

In the form of fire-back shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, the same general divergence of V grooves is illustrated, but instead of curving the grooves, they are angularly inclined upwardly and outwardly as indicated at 25. These grooves terminate short of the upper edge of the fire-back in beveled portions 26 which merge into the face of the fire-back as heretofore described.

WVhile I have shown only two forms of V grooves it will be understood that various other designs can be substituted provided the divergence of the angular grooves begins at the lower edge of the fire-back and extends upwardly and outwardly toward the top edge thereof so as to spread and deflect the flames and resulting heat to a maximum degree- From the foregoing it will be obvious that an improved fireplace and fire-back have been produced, the latter of which has been designed to conduct the passage of the flames in diverging directions upwardly, thoroughly spread and deflect them, and finally emit an increased volume of heat from the fireplace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. A fireback comprising a flat plate having a series of V grooves formed on the front thereof, said grooves extending in an upwardly diverging direction from each other and from the central lower edge of the fireback to a point short of the upper edge of said fireback.

2. A fireback comprising a flat plate having two series of adjacent V grooves formed on the front thereof, said grooves extending in an upwardly diverging direction from each other and from the central lower edge of the fireback and flush with the'outer surface thereof, to apoint short of the upper edge of said fireback.

3. A fireback comprising a flat plate having a series of V shaped grooves arcuately formed on the front thereof, said grooves extending in an upwardly diverging direction from each other and from the central lower edge of the fireback to a point short of the upper edge thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa- 1 ture, in presence of two subscribing witj nesses.

FRANK S. THORNE.

Witnesses H. FREEDMAN, GEO. D. YOUNG.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of lratentsig Washington, D. C, 

